We’ve had a little interview with the Ellie Ellie team, just to break the ice!
Role: Managing Director / Designer
Where did your inspiration come from to start up the Ellie Ellie brand?
Ellie Ellie was born in 2010 after I came home from travelling for a year around Asia, Australia, New Zealand and America. My inspiration came after seeing the environmental impacts of cheap, fast, throwaway fashion.
I had always been into re-cycling but up until now I never realised how fundamental it is to our future until then. It woke me up into becoming passionate that I could do something about it with Ellie Ellie.
By re-using items that would normally end up in landfills we are reducing the amount of pollution caused by disposable fashion, and doing our small part to help the planet. It is an extremely powerful thought to think how much we could save the environment by simply beginning to re-cycle our fashion; and it is this thought that fuelled the birth of Ellie Ellie.
Why ‘Ellie Ellie’?
My full name is Danielle Ellen, so it just kind of jigged it around and viola!
As we all know Ellie Ellie’s ethos is all about recycling and remaking something that people will treasure, so this is obviously something you are passionate about. Where did you get the recycling bug from?
My mum loved buying second hand things, and my childhood was spent being dragged around charity shops! I didn’t think it was very cool at the time and would pray that none of my school friends saw me! As I got older and went off to University to study fashion I found myself in and out of charity shops to find materials. Whilst I was travelling I became interested in vintage clothes and loved having a rummage in markets, jumble sales and car boots. Consequently I saw the true effects of throw away fashion and at the time I was living out of a back pack and it struck me that I actually didn’t need anything. Melbourne is paving the way for sustainability and is incredibly artistic; I was constantly soaking things up and ideas started to flow. I guess that where I got a bulk of inspiration from.
What’s your favourite EE product and why?
My favourite has to be. . . . well actually I have two! The scrabble necklace, I love wearing it myself! It was the first product I designed and made in 2006 whilst I was studying fashion at Kingston University. It is very dear to my heart and carries huge sentimental value for me!
The second is the recycled map pendant. I wear one with Melbourne, Australia which holds close memories for me from when I was travelling. Wearing the necklace just makes it feel near to me and it always make me smile when I put it on when I think of all the things I learnt and the people I met- it just feels like that memory is closer to me.
Where do you see EE in 5 years time?
Oh, good question! BIGGER BIGGER BIGGER! In 5 years I’d like to have employed more talented young people within the business. I would love to see Ellie Ellie on the high street in our own little shop as well as supplying some of the well known stores. My dream is for Ellie Ellie to become a more familiar name and for people to know the brand and what it stands for. My mission is and always will be to have a positive effect on the environment and to encourage more people to recycle by looking at things they deem as ‘rubbish’ and seeing them in a new light – therefore as long as we are still supported by our customers to spread this message I will be happy.
If you had a vintage tea party and you could invite 4 celebrities, who would you pick and why?
Ryan Gosling, purely for eye candy. Then I’d invite Fearne Cotton- I want her to be my best friend! Love her style and humour and I think she’d really ‘get’ EE! She would obviously have to look horrible that day so Ryan doesn’t fancy her! Then I’d have Louis Theroux and he would bring fab conversation! Last but not least it would have to be, Channing Tatum purely because he can show me some street dancing moves!
What would you talk about? Whether or not we’d be a squirrel or a monkey!
What’s your favourite cheese?
BRITISH CHEDDAR- it’s the best! I really missed it when I was travelling. I found a shop in Melbourne that imported British cheese- I spent £7 on a miniscule about of Cathedral City, but it was worth every penny!
You have to pick one item to give to the Queen for Christmas, which EE product would you choose for her and why?
Our new stamp necklaces! But it wouldn’t be one with her on, be a really vintage piece so it would be a memory for the monarchy and its history. I think she’d look great in it! Do you think she’d wear it for her Christmas day speech??
What’s top of your Christmas list this year?
I’d like a flash for my Lomo Diana camera and I’d love to go on a cheese making course!
If you were president for the day, what’s the one thing you would ban?
I would ban people from doing air guitar in a public place. In fact any air instrument actually!! Not cool!
Role: Retail / Trade Manager
What is your role at Ellie Ellie!
Primarily I run the wholesale side to the business, but I get involved with all aspects of Ellie Ellie from marketing, to designing products, to customer service!
What made you want to join the Ellie Ellie team?
I met Danielle when I was in my teens whilst I was working in the gift and jewellery boutique. I stayed with that business for 5 years (part time whilst I was studying) and I gradually worked my way up! I soon became the buyer and I began sourcing different and fresh brands. Our whole ethos was about offering our customers something different. I am so passionate about handmade and British products that I began to source more and more talented British designers and makers who made wonderful jewellery and gifts. I spent a lot of time researching and travelling to London on the hunt for exciting brands and talented people who had a skill that is all so often lost to mass production methods.
I jumped at the chance to work with Ellie Ellie to work on the wholesale department and help fly the flag for handmade trends. When I was buying I was crying out for something like this brand and that experience has given me expertise in managing and promoting for wholesale.
Where do you see EE in 5 years’ time?
Bigger. I would love to see the brand in more outlets on our high streets. My job is to fly the Ellie Ellie flag from a wholesale point of view- I want Ellie Ellie to be a brand for those stores who like to offer their customers something refreshingly different- nostalgic but with a firm modern twist. Our outlets at the moment are having a lot of success with our products and this is so encouraging. I would be thrilled to walk into a boutique or design led store and see an Ellie Ellie collection. That’s the aim and that’s the dream.
What is your favourite EE product?
Has to be the recycled comic book cufflinks! I love them- they are so much fun and the perfect gift for the boys! I really enjoy making them too- each pair is totally different and unique to the individual! I secretly enjoy going through all the old comics too, it’s such a shame that comics were overtaken by video games! They do make me giggle.
If you were on a desert island and you could only pick 2 people to be stranded with, who would you choose?
Ray Mears! What he doesn’t know about extreme survival is nobody’s business! He’d be in charge of shelter, fire and signals… Then I’d probably take Jamie Oliver as he can rustle up some dinner for us from a few pine cones! He is such a good chef and I love his restaurant. Lovely jubbly.
What’s your favourite cheese?
Er, my fave cheese has got to be ‘Pickle Power’ by the Snowdonia Cheese Company! It’s just genius. Made with pickled onions and gorgeous cheddar, on toast it is to die for! I could probably live off it.
You have to pick one item to give to the Queen for Christmas, which EE product would you choose for her and why?
Oo, tricky. Maybe the Sixpence Necklace? It’s made from real silver sixpence coins. They are beautiful and I think she’d like it- it’s a nice piece of British History!
If you were president for the day, what’s the one thing you would ban?
I don’t actually know! However I would introduce ‘National Tea Day’. It would be a bank holiday and everyone would have big tea parties with tea and cake! Every village would have a street party to bring the whole community together for a big catch up and lots of custard creams.